| 释义 |
pat-ball|ˈpætbɔːl|
[f. pat v.1 + ball n.1]
A game in which a ball is hit back and forth between two players. Also used as a contemptuous name for lawn tennis, especially when not played vigorously; also, tactical slow and gentle play in lawn tennis. Also fig.
1775S. J. Pratt Liberal Opin. vii. (1783) I. 96, I might go home, and play at pat-ball with my sister. 1890S. W. Gore in Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Rackets, Fives (Badminton Libr.) 282 This derisive name of ‘pat-ball’ was applied to lawn tennis by tennis and racket players, who maintained that, from the absence of back- or side-walls, it was impossible to hit hard without sending the ball out of court. Ibid. 285 The final blow to the ‘pat-ball’ game was given by the brothers Renshaw when they discovered that they could stand back at the service⁓line, and..volley. 1891F. W. Newman Cdl. Newman 3 We had cricket and rounders,..patball and trapball,..and multiform games of marbles. 1896Westm. Gaz. 9 May 3/1 Facetious Undergrad (at tennis, to his partner): Our opponent isn't much good at pat-ball, I take it. 1900Captain IV. 26/1 In the summer, a great form of ‘eccer’ is ‘patters’, a corruption of ‘patball’, i.e. tennis. 1904J. P. Paret Lawn Tennis ii. 13 The next three years have been aptly described by an English historian as ‘the era of pat-ball’. 1923Daily Mail 28 Apr. 11 At this stage Mishu played ‘pat ball’..and Norton wisely did likewise, for in slowing the pace he affected Mishu's game. 1927Daily Tel. 21 June 12/3 No one would have guessed..that the mild game derisively nicknamed ‘pat-ball’..would develop so rapidly into this highly exacting and arduous exercise. 1944C. Dilke in Wine & Food No. 41. 16 He might have been back at the Eureka tennis club..watching the nymphs who played patball on summer evenings. 1955Times 20 June 9/4 Lawn tennis was still known as pat-ball when I was an undergraduate. 1959Economist 18 July 150/3 An astonishing amount of rather owlish erudition and a no less astonishingly patball standard of controversy. 1963Times 23 Apr. 13/4 No contestant..at Wimbledon would care to have his sport spoken of as pat-ball. 1973P. Geddes Ottawa Allegation xii. 160 When they spoke during the journey, it was like pat-ball. 1977J. Wainwright Do Nothin' vi. 102 A kiosk means a telephone call. Where to go next. Maybe another kiosk, for another call. A crazy, pat-ball game that could stretch forever. |